Bought my first DSLR and need help! (video setting for t6)

[Katybeewebb]

So I just bought the canon rebel t6, upgraded from my Sony a5000. I am wanting to make videos with this camera but I'm having trouble with the focusing. It doesn't auto focus does it? For example when I hold up an item in front of the camera it will not auto focus on that. Idk if there's a trick to it or if I'm just stuck using the focus ring for it. My Sony would auto focus so it's just a huge change for me lol. Any help or information would be much appreciated, thanks!

[jrhoffman75]

Have you read the manual on shooting video?

[Waddizzle]

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@Katybeewebb wrote:

So I just bought the canon rebel t6, upgraded from my Sony a5000. I am wanting to make videos with this camera but I'm having trouble with the focusing. It doesn't auto focus does it? For example when I hold up an item in front of the camera it will not auto focus on that. Idk if there's a trick to it or if I'm just stuck using the focus ring for it. My Sony would auto focus so it's just a huge change for me lol. Any help or information would be much appreciated, thanks!

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The T6 is Canon's bottom rung, entry level DSLR.  The camera can auto-focus when shooting stills, but it lacks the ability to auto-focus at real time when shooting video.  One reason for this behavior is that the AF system for shooting stills is a completely separate [and costly] circuit from AF circuitry needed for shooting video.  

To keep the cost down on their entry level DSLR, Canon engineers made a design decision to keep the DSLR simple, and reduce costs, by giving it only on AF system.  Why a camera needs separate AF systems for stills and videos is a story for another day, but that is why the T6 cannot auto-focus while shooting video.  It's a bare bones, introductory DSLR, designed to teach you about how they work.  More costly DSLRs are pretty complicated, which many users never fully master or discover.

[Richard]

Hi Katybeewebb,

Thanks for posting.

While this camera cannot continuously focus, you may focus before you start shooting a movie and during the movie. Here's how:

Turn your camera on, switch the MODE Dial to "Movie", then press the MENU button. You'll see the first movie tab (Movie camera icon with 1 dot). Scroll down to AF w/ shutter button during movie (movie camera icon), then press the SET button. On the next screen, if it's not already set, please choose "Enable".

With AF w/ shutter button during movie, when you press the shutter release button halfway down while shooting a movie, your camera will refocus.